Japan’s moon lander survives second lunar night, beating predictions

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s first moon lander responded to a signal from Earth, suggesting it has survived a second freezing weeks-long lunar night, Japan’s space agency said Monday. JAXA called the signal, received late Sunday night, a “miracle” because the probe was not designed to survive the lunar night, when temperatures can fall to minus 170 degrees Celsius. The craft, Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, made a “pinpoint” touchdown on Jan. 20, making Japan became the fifth country to successfully place a probe on the moon. JAXA said Sunday’s communication was kept short because it was still “lunar midday” and SLIM was at a very high temperature, about 100 Celsius.